Absorber



sept. 27, 1927.

J, A. CAMPBELL yABsoRsn 2 sheets-sneek 1 original Filed July 501925 Uyl.

. Inventor /a//fa/L. (Zim/55e?! 9. 1,643,696 Sept f7 1927' J. A. CAMPBELL y v ABSORBER Original Filed Jlily 30, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. War/ffy Patented. Sept. 27,A 1927.

UNITEDjsrATi-:s

PATENr-oFFlcE.

JUnIAN A. CAMPBELL, on LoNG'BnAoH, CALIFORNIA.

ABsoRBEn.

' original application led .July' 30, 1925;l Serial No. 46,974. Divided and `this application filed` January 4, 1926'. serial No. 79,073.

" This ftppiieaimi ist. division of my applieation Serial'v Number 46,974, `filed July '30, i925, entitled Absorbera In this epplication the subject matter of the invention relating to structure causing Acertain relativel flow of gasesfand liquids is claimed; leaving in said prior application the claims upon the structural features having relation to support, assembly, etc. For that reason the-features relating-purely to structure will not be described in detail in this application.

This invention has to do with devices of the general character and type that are variously known as absorbers or bubble towers;

:their function being to intimately distribute l and admix a gas or vapor with a liquid, so

i as to get" intimate finely divided contact between the gas and liquid. Sometimes these devices are used for the `purpose of loading a gas. or vapor withsubstances that they may pick upv from ythe liquid by reason of their .intimate contact therewith.` although the presenbdevice is called an 'abe sorber and has been designed more particularly for use as such, and particularly for absorbing the vapors of volatile h'ydrocar` bons such as gasoline from easing head gas and the like, it will be understood thatth'e inv ention is not thereby limited to such use: A description -of the apparatus and its peration specifically as an absorber will make it plain to all those skilled in the art how the device may be used for other purposes.

Although the general structure and details hereinafter particularly described are.

i but illustrative and indicative of the invention, I. give a detailed and specilic description of the preferred and specific form of device shown in the accompanying drawin s so that others may have a full understan ing of at least one form of the invention, and from that may have a full understanding of the invention itself; it not being intended that the following described details of specific Structure and operation shall be limitations upon the invention except as expressly so stated in the claims. For the purpose of such description, I now refer to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an exterior elevation, parts being broken away, showing a form of my proved absorber;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal ksection on line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Thus

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 isan enlarged vertical section of the lower part ofthe absorber showing the relative arrangements of Aits 'various ele-l -ments; and

Fig. 5 isan enlargement in vdetail of certain portions of Fig. 4.

The absorber is preferably housed within a tower-like shell or casing l0. constructed of any suitable material, preferably of sheet or .platemetaL Withinv this tower there is a numberof superimposed perforated floors ll.l Each 'of'these floors isv formed of a suitable plate perforated with a" large num'- ber of comparatively small openings, so

that the' gasfilowing up. through the floors is broken up into fine streams.' And these openings .are @f jsuclia size that gas pressure beneath .the flooiwill prevent flow of liquid downwardly .through the perforations.-

' The st1ucture.forsupporting these floors and'for making fluid-tight joints between them and shell l0 is the-particular subject matterbf said prior applicationand,there.

fore, will-not be described here; except that I' say .that,'as indicated at l2, means vare providedat the periphery of each floor for making a fluid-tighty joint with the shell, and that the doors are supported on suitable columns or posts 13 Athat vextend vertically through the several floors. It will suffice hereto saythat the several floors are rigidly `supported `in vert'ically spaced relation, are supported so as to be accurately level and 'so that theoverlow pans attached to each.floor are accurately .in level.-

Each ioor, as I have said, is formed of a perforated plate; and each iioor carries a plurality of overflow pans 30 supported on tubes 3l that pass through the floor and extend to a point near the Hoor next below.

Pans 30 are carried at a suitable height above their corresponding oors, the height depending somewhatupon various condi-' ends these tubes have spreader cones 33 that 110 ldirectly up through the tubes.

lie close -to the fioor below; thelower ends of the tubes being at points near enough the Hoor below that they are always is ubmerged by the liquid or liquid and froth on that floor so as to prevent/passage of gas The tubes 31 of pans 30 associated with the lowermost iioor 11, instead of having spreaders, have i apparatus through to the uppermost on their lower ends cups 34 forming liquid upwardly. By it will be seen that each floor carries a plurality-of overfiow pans and that the arrangement on alternating floors'is frnade so that` the lowerA ends of tubes 31 from the traps through which`l the gas cannot pass floor above are spaced between the pans 3Q on the next floor below. Thev pans 30 are made of considerable arca, and are preferably relatively shallow.

The absorbing liquid-in a typical case, a fairly heavyV petroleum oil-is fed into the pipe 35 and is distributed floor l1 by a perforated pipe 3G. Flowing over this uppermost floor the liquid is prevented from flowing directl'y through the floor perforations by reason ofthe gas pressure beneath the lioor. The gas is initially introduced at 37 below the lowermostfioor 11 and at a point abovel the liquid outlet 38, so that gas is introduced above the liquid level standing in the bottom of the shell. The gas, under suitable pressure, passes upwardly through the perforainto the space above,

Aleased to pass under pressurethrough the tions in the lowermost floor and bubbling' upin finely divided streams, and therefore in ne bubbles through the liquid on that floor, creates a considerable froth which stands on the surface of whatever clear liq- This froth is con-' and releasing 'the' gas uid there may be present. stantly breaking up the gas being thus re next floor up. At each floor the same kind of action takes place until the gas passes through the uppermost floor, when finally passes off through the gas outlet 3 9. At each floor a mass of froth is formed; fine bubbles being formed by formation of a lm of oil around each minutegas bubble.

This finely divided froth blows up in each floor until it reaches the level of the upper edgesof pans 30; and the uppermost partof the froth then overflows constantly into the pans'. It is the uppermost parts of the froth in which the individual bubbles are breaking andv releasing gas; therefore the froth in this uppermost part, which flows over the edges of the pans and into the pans, breaks up, releases the entrained' gas, and,

lin the form' of clear liquid, flows from the pans through tubes-31 and thus down onto the next floor. As l have said' before, the lower ends of tubes 31 are close enough to the next floor and'submerged in the froth so that the gas cannpt How upwardly through reference to Figs. 2 and 3` the tubes.v -The gas is' -thus constantly being bubbled in very fine division through the liquid at each floor, a ne froth .is constantly being formed, giving extremely intimate contact between the liquid'and gas or vapor, the froth is constantly breaking up and the resultant liquid from thebroken up froth is constantly flowing from oneA floor to the next. -.While the liquid is thus slowly flow-- ing downwardly through the apparatus the gas is passing upwardly throughvit.

The capacity ofv erned mainly byits area in plan; the length of time during which the gasor vapor-is in intimate Contact with the liquid-#and the apparatus is gov? therefore .the thoroughness with which abi the froth level is there shown at- L, this level being usually slightly above the peripheral edges of pans 30. 'I have found that a most effective breaking up of the froth and flow of comparatively clear liquid over the pan edges is obtained when the pan edges are left in what` is known as the raw state..

These pans are,` in practice,vmadeby cuttingl or qlhearing a strip of comparatively thin shee i metal (about #16 gauge), bending that strip to `l05 circular formrand securing its ends together'to form aside wall, and then f securing the circular side -wall to abottorn plate.y In thus making, the pans I leave the upper peripheral edge 30a in its raw cut state, not smoothing it in any manner, as for instance-by rolling or by smoothing off the edOe. This sharp raw ed e find to be very e'ective inbreaking up t e froth. at the pan edge; so that practically nothing lbut clear liquid flows into'each pan and thus flows down through tube Blvto the next level.

When this liquid reaches vthe next `level it is spread out over the-next floor ll b y the spreader cones 33. It will be noteduthat these spreader conesare so placed and formed that they throw the liquid outwardly and, cause itl-to move outwardly over the floor Il, and immediately upon striking the floor this liquid begins to be picked up by .lie gas that flows through the perforations,

being thus intimately intermingled" withthe gas and again formed into froth; Spread ing cone 33 spreads the liquid flow out into f a comparatively thin sheet or film; and thisf fact tends to increase the 'intimacy yof con tact-between the gas and liquid. But it will be noted that Ithe liquid flowing down through tubes 31 and' spread by cones '33 is not thereby thrown upwardly, but is only thrown outwardly;. that its How motion is only outwardly over the Hoor under the mass 'zontallyfoutwardlyunderthe pans. This is clearly indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5. Consequently the liquid that is picked up and moved upwardly by the u wardly Howinfry as cannot even iftmove u wardl as e g a fairly large bodies of liquid rather than froth, immediately reach a posit-ion where it coul-d How over the edge of'a pan. -It must,

as indicated by the dotted-line arrowsA in Fig. 5, .follow a more or less tortuous upward path to reach the liquid surface sur-y l 'rounding the pans; -and in following such `tortuous path it is, of course', at all times coming into Contact with gas that is moving up through the froth. The gas that comes l '-up under the pans mustalso follow a long tortuous path t'o; reach the froth surface, thus increasing its. contact with the liquid.

`And the spreading ofthe gas under Ithe spreader cones has also theA same effect.

The sum-total result of these arrangevinentsis'that a very high efficiency of action is obtained in myabsorber, that action being due to the necessarily 'intimate contact between the gas and liquid and also due in some measure to the fact that, when the liquid Hows from one level to the next, it is necessarily freed of gas.

At the lower ends of the lowermosttubes 31"it is not necessary to employ spreader cones, but the liquid seal cups 34 vare there.

used ymerely to prevent gas from passing upwardly through the lowermost tubes 31.

.And it .may be 'noted in this connection that cones 33,l which are made of hollow sheet metal, as is indicated in Fig. 5, protect the lower ends of tubes 3l and prevent gas lfrom Howing directly upwardly from the perforated Hoor through the tubes, The gas that Hows through thefloor perforations directly below a cone 33 cannot vHow directly up through the tubes, but is turned horizontally under the cone, Howing out under its lower'edge, and this outward radial flow of gas under and around each cone helps in Howing the clear liquid radially outwardly over the Hoor around each cone, this aiding in a wide-spread of the liquid How, thus decreasing the thickness of liquid film and iriupwar ly Howing gas and the liquid. This outward radial How of gas. increasesr the length of its path to reach the froth surface; causes meeting and turbulence between the .radial gas and liquid Hows from adjacent creasin the intimacy of contact between the p cones; and increases both the time period 4 leading downwardly to a level somewhat i above the Hoor, av deilective liquid, spreader atthe lower end of each tube directing the. liquid How outwardly and horizontally over the Hoor around each spreader, so that the liquid Hows over the Hoor in a comparatively thin and lwidely spreadsheet and the' gas passing upwardly through the H oor perforations forms froth of the liquid; and means to remove liquid from'above theHoor comprising a plurality of spaced pans arranged at a level above the Hoor and above the lower ends of the tubes, said pans being of an aggregate area equal to a substantial fraction of the area ofthe Hoor and having sharp peripheral edges over which the liquid from the froth overHows.

2. In a device of the character described, an exterior shell, a perforated Hoor within tl'ie shell, means to deliver gas under the Hoor, means 'to deliver liquid over the Hoor, said liquid delivering means'including a plurality of spaced liquid feeding tubes leading downwardly to a level somewhat above the Hoor, a deHective liquid spreader at the lower end of each tube directing the liquid How outwardlyv and horizontally over the Hoor around each spreader, so that the liquid Hows over the Hoor in a comparatively thin and widel spread sheet and the gas passing upward y through the Hoor perfora-tions forms froth of the liquid; and means to remove liquid from above the Hoor comprising a plurality of spaced pans arranged "at a level above the Hoor and above the lower ends of the tubes, said pans being located qver the Hoor area's over 'which the liquid is spread by said spreaders, so that the-liquidflow around said spreaders extends to points under the pans.

3. In a device of the character described. an exterior shell, a. plurality of superimposed spaced and perforated Hoors in the ico ing so located next below, liquid spreading cones arranged at the lowerends of the several tubes just above the floor below, said cones acting.

to direct and spread the liquid fiow outward- 5 ly and horizontally over said floor n a thinl outwardly flowing sheet, and said pans above each Hoor being solocated with. reference to said spreaders above the floor that the spread liquid flow extends under said pans.

4. In aA device of the characterdescribed, I an; exterior shell, a plurality o f superimposed spaced and perforated lioors in the shell, means to deliver liquid above the uppermost floor, means to deliver as underA 15 the lowermost floor, froth over ow ypans above each floor with communicating .tubes from-their bottoms extending through their corresponding floors to a point near the floor next below, liquid spreading lcones arranged at the lower end of each tube just above the floor below, said cones acting to direct and spread the liquid flow outwardly and horizontally over said floor in atliin .outwardly flowing sheet, said pans above each floor beers above the floor thatthe spread liquid flow extends under said'pans, a'nd said pans having sharp overflow edges for the purpose of breaking u 3 the froth at their edges and inducing overiiow intothem of liquid.

5. n a device of the character described,

an exterior shell, a lioor therein perforated over substantially its' whole area with relatively fine and closelyspaced perforations,

means to introduce liquid over said floor and gas below said floor under pressure so that the gas 'will fiow up through the perforar. tions into the liquid and form a froth above the floor, and means for removing liquid with reference to said spread` from the froth comprising a tube extending l downwardly from a point above theV floor,v and a -wide shallow pan mounted on'and.

communicating with the upper end of the tube, the bottom of' the pan being substantially fiat and spaced above the floor and., overhanging the tube, so that the substantially fiat pan bottom stands over certain of said perforations in the door.

' 6. In a device of the character described, an exterior shell, a plurality ofl superimposedspaced floors in theshell, each floor being perforated over substantially its whole area with relatively line and closelyv spaced perforations, means to introduce liquid 'over Y the uppermost iioor, means to delivergas un-V n' ressure un e ie wer os oor so` de d r tl lo m t fl that the gas will fiow up \throug'h the perforations in each floor intoliquidabove each floor and form a frothabove each floor, and means for removing liquid from.the froth above each floor and delivering the liquid to aj point above the floor next below, said means comprising vertical tubes extending pan bottoms stand over perforations 1n' thev respective ioors below them.4 v

lnA witness that I claim the foregoing I 'i have hereunto subscribed my name this 2l' day of December, 1925.

l JuLfAN A. CAMPBELL. 

